Frequently Asked Questions

People

How many residents are in the program?
UMMC has 16 total categorical positions, 4 for each year.

How available are attending physicians and specialists?
Every rotation has a designated attending physician available around the clock, either in the hospital or by pager. Residents feel very comfortable calling staff as needed.

Who does the teaching (residents, fellows, or faculty)?
At UMMC, we are proud to have some of the best educators in the southeast. Most of the didactic sessions in the core curriculum are led by faculty members. A great deal of the teaching of the program is done as patient care decisions are made and comes from other residents, faculty, and even students!

Do residents have mentors?
Each resident is paired with a mentor, a faculty member who may or may not be in the subspecialty that the resident is interested in. This occurs during the second half of his/her first year of residency. Meetings occur semi-annually, but can occur more often if the resident and mentor so desire.

Do residents meet individually with the program leadership?
All residents meet individually with the program director or an associate program director on a semi-annual basis for review of performance and milestone accomplishment and to address any of the resident's concerns with the program.

Programs

How do I apply for the pathology residency program?
We only accept applications via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

What is your residency application deadline?
October 1st.

How many people are interviewed each year by the pathology residency program and how many are accepted?
We interview approximately 40 candidates each year for four (4) PGY-1 positions.

What is a typical residency interview day like?
The day of your interview will begin before 8 a.m. and conclude by 2 p.m. The candidate will interview with a selection of pathology faculty specialized in different areas throughout the day and meet the current residents.

Are there any international medical graduates (IMGs) or DOs in your program?
Yes. Currently we have or had IMGs in our residency program.

What are the application requirements for IMGs?
Graduate of a medical school outside the United States or Canada approved for listing by the World Health Organization or equivalent accrediting body and possess a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (EFCMG) upon graduation of IMG.

What type of visas are sponsored?
Only J-1 visas are sponsored.

Where can I find information about compensation and benefits?
Recent salary scale can be found on our GME website. Click here for more information.

What research opportunities are available?
There are numerous research opportunities available ranging from case series write-up to translational dash type collaborative projects with clinical faculty to bench research opportunities. Click here for more information.

How is the grossing schedule organized?
Surgical pathology is organized by sub-specialty sign-out. Residents rotating on surgical pathology will be assigned to gross on one of four (4) sub-specialty grossing benches for a one month period. They will have the opportunity to rotate on all of the sub-specialty benches at least once during each year of residency.

What is the on-call schedule like?
PGY-1 do not take call. PGY-2 and PGY-3 take Junior level AP and CP call. Senior level call for AP services and CP call are taken by PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents (in the latter months of their PGY-3 year). Call is taken one week at a time. An attending is available at all times.

Do residents have their own workspace?
Each resident has their own workspace assigned to them in the pathology residency room located in the Anatomic Pathology area.

What are the ALS and BLS requirements?
None.

Do all rotations take place at the UMMC campus?
During your PGY4 year, you will do a one-month dermatopathology rotation at our local Dermatopathology Associates.

How do I access the requirements for medical licensure?
Please see the Board of Mississippi Medical Licensure website for information on medical licenses. 

What medical license options are available for residents during their training?
The GME Office coordinates all incoming residents' application for a temporary Mississippi medical license that must be renewed annually. Residents who have passed USMLE Step 3 are eligible to apply for a permanent Mississippi medical license.

What other teaching conferences are scheduled?
Most conferences take place at noon. Every Monday, we have "call report" in which the resident who was on call for the previous week, gives a brief summary of the interesting/educational calls they encountered. We have resident-led interesting case conferences (for both AP and CP), autopsy conference, and journal club presented by a resident each month. Our faculty give didactic lectures and slide reviews on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our didactic schedule is designed to cover all anatomic and clinical pathology topics over 2 years. On Friday, there is a joint teleconference with the University of Texas-Medical Brand and Houston Methodist at 8:15 a.m. We also attend departmental Grand Rounds as scheduled.

Do your residents pass the pathology board exam?
We are proud to say that our board pass rate is excellent. 100% of our residents passed the board exam in the last seven years.

Places

Is this a university-based or a community-based program?
The program is university-based with UMMC as the primary training site. UMMC is the the only Level 1 trauma hospital in the state. With a total of 722 beds, it is the largest diagnostic, treatment and referral care system in Mississippi. Inpatient stays total about 29,000 annually with more than 209,000 outpatient and emergency visits every year. UMMC encompasses SIX health science schools with more than 2,800 students and over 9,100 employees, the medical center is the largest employer in Mississippi.

What is the patient population (disease processes, socioeconomic background, variety)?
As the only academic medical center in a state with great disparities in health status, high disease and mortality rates and low socioeconomic status, UMMC serves a large and culturally diverse population. A large number of patients from the Jackson area use the University for primary care, and patients from around Mississippi are referred for procedures and for diagnostic or therapeutic dilemmas. About half the patients are government-insured (Medicare and/or Medicaid) with a fair number of uninsured and some privately insured patients. Many state and local officials are cared for at the University Hospital.

Perks

How much vacation time annually?
All residents have 19 days of vacation time each year.

Is there provision for educational leave?
Attendance at regional or national meetings is encouraged, and administrative leave is provided for meetings.

Is affordable housing available near the hospital?
Yes, there are several neighborhoods within 10 minutes driving distance of the hospital with affordable housing. UMMC works with Off Campus Partners to help locate housing.

Is parking free for residents?
Yes, residents are provided covered parking at no charge. 

What is the salary?
Information regarding salary and benefits can be found here.